JP Ralph Races to Champions win!
JP Ralph aged 13 from Merseyside became the inaugural winner of the Golf Factor Champion of Champions Event Held at Whittlebury
Park on Saturday 17th September 2011. The Champions competition is an uncompromising 18 holes of gross stroke play to determine
the very best golfer in the golf factor ranks. Alex Wilkens played great golf on his way to picking up the best nett round Trophy.
The soundtrack to the day’s golf was an unusual one - not the tweeting of birds or rustling trees - but the sound of race cars,
speeding around Beckett’s corner on the Silverstone Grand Prix Track which is only a long par 5 away from the golf course.
Golf Factor teamed up with UK Kids Golf to stage the event, which attracted a field of over 100 young golfers from up and down the
country to play in their own Tour Grand Final. Feedback from the players and parents was excellent and the partnership is sure to
grow in the forthcoming years.
Conditions on the day were particularly tough with a 25 mph wind and driving, heavy rain greeting the nervous finalists on the 414 yard
first. The first group out was eventual winner JP shooting a gross 81 (7) 75, with 2011 Merseyside Winner and compatriot
Daniel Heron - 95 (12) 83, 2010 Yorkshire Winner Alex Robinson – 92 (10) 82 and 2010 Yorkshire runner up Tom North - 86 (9) 77. With tough
conditions and an unfamiliar course scoring was high and for all players it was a matter of keeping concentration and dealing with the
elements as best they could.
Second group out, christened “the big hitters” by watching judges James Beattie and Paul Hebdon, were Stuart Entwisle - 89 (6) 83 the 2010
East Anglia Winner, Yorkshire 2011 runner up Brad Johnson 98 (7) 91, 2010 Midlands winner Jordan Baker 92 (3) 89 and 2011 Midlands
runner up Matthew Hoskin 108 (18) 90. Unfortunately, it’s fair to say the “big hitters” got blew away in the strong winds and never
really came to terms with the tricky 9 hole layout.
Next group out included 2011 Yorkshire Runner up George Nicolson - 108 (24) 84, sporting a fantastic pair of shades, Rhys Hopkins - 111
(17) 94 complete with his superman belt buckle and would have been in the running except for an unfortunate 13 on the really tough par 5
7th, Owen Meeds - 93 (12) 81 and Alex Wilkens - 92 (17) 75, both runners up in the East Anglia 2010 competition. As with the groups
before this younger group of stand-out talents found the course to be playing long with some tough carries which were on the limit of
there playing ability on the day.
Last group out benefitted from slightly improved conditions on teeing off and included Lewis Bullard - 106 (28) 78 a 2011 Midlands runner up,
Matt Broderick - 99 (22) 77 a 2011 Merseyside runner up, George Brady - 99 (13) 86 the Yorkshire 2011 winner and Andrew Marsh - 90
(11) 79, 2011 Merseyside runner up. Best of the group was Andrew Marsh who has reduced his handicap significantly in the summer and
is one to watch in forthcoming events.
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